During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 26 Aug 2026
Clif Shot Energy Gel 41
A five-ingredient, mostly-organic gel built on maltodextrin and cane sugar rather than maltodextrin and fructose, at close to a dollar less per box than the category's cheaper end.
Score breakdown
The overall score is the average of what's below, each measured against every other gel we've reviewed.
41
Mixed
Based on 4 of 5 measures ?A dimension a product doesn't declare is left out of its average rather than counted against it -- so this score reflects fewer measures than a product with a full panel.
Carb density ?How much fuel one sachet carries. 90 g is the ceiling here, matching the top of the range cited for multi-transportable-carb intake.27
Sodium ?Sodium carried by the gel itself, on a scale topping out at 1000 mg — the upper end of what's typically lost to sweat in an hour.9
Value (cost/gram) ?Price of one gram of carbohydrate. Not physiological -- a market-based scale from $0.15/g (0) to $0.02/g (100).62
Gut comfort ?A proxy, not a taste or tolerance test: shorter ingredient lists score higher, from 15 ingredients (0) to 1 (100). Nobody has actually run these through anyone's gut for this score.64
Cost per gram of carbohydrate
$0.070/g
Glucose : fructose · not disclosed
n/d
Comparison
6 of 22 gels heldPrices per single sachet at the cheapest box size we track. Best in green, worst in red, across the gels shown.
| Measure | CLIF Bar & Company Clif Shot Energy Gel | Maurten Maurten Gel 100 | Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel Gel | Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel | NEVERSECOND NEVERSECOND C30 Gel | GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries. | 24 g | 25 g | 40 g | 30 g | 30 g | 22 g |
| Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling. | n/d | 1 : 0.8 | 1 : 0.77 | 1 : 0.5 | 1 : 0.5 | ~ 1 : 0.47 |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 90 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | 60 mg |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Not disclosed | Stated | Derived | Stated | Stated | Estimated |
| Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes. | $1.67 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | $2.00 |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes. | $0.070 | $0.150 | $0.063 | $0.104 | $0.117 | $0.091 |
| Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- Five ingredients, ~90% organic, no gums or preservatives beyond potassium citrate.
- 90 mg of sodium, more than most gels here that don't specifically market themselves on it.
- Non-caffeinated by default in this flavor, with caffeinated flavors sold separately.
What it costs you
- No glucose-to-fructose ratio: the carb source is maltodextrin plus cane sugar (sucrose), not a declared glucose:fructose blend.
- $0.069 a gram ties Hammer for second-cheapest here, not a mid-pack price, but it's no cheaper than Hammer, which also brings caffeine and less sugar.
- 24 g a sachet means over 3.7 an hour to hold 90 g/hr.
Where to buy
Prices and links as last checked.
Who this is for
the numbers, appliedThe field tells you what it is. This is who should act on it.
Worth the money if
- You want a short, mostly-organic ingredient list at a mid-range price.
- You value sodium in the gel itself over a stated carb ratio.
Look elsewhere if
- You're chasing the lowest cost per gram in the category.
- You specifically want a declared, verifiable absorption ratio.